coworker enquiring about sexuality

amiehall

Maybe I'm just a very open person, but for me conversations about partners/homelife are like a first week kind of conversation with a colleague. Maybe it's because I'm used to working in quite small workplaces, like I wouldn't have colleagues that I didn't speak to every day. I would probably be unlikely to ask someone directly if they were gay, but I would definitely ask open questions about homelife to new colleagues and honestly would be quite shocked if they were put out by it.

Maybe your colleague just has shocking social skills and was trying to be interested/friendly? Or they were curious and just didn't think you'd be offended by being asked.

Morglin

tir21 wrote: »

How would you deal with this situation

Recently a female coworker asked me if I was gay and if I fancied men

Is this something someone could get warned about

Is this something one should brush off? Doesnt really bother me that anyone should ask this but should I tell her that someone could take offence and she could potentially get in trouble for such a question

If she does it again, just tell her the only thing you fancy is Shetland Ponies.....;)

That should shut the mosey mare up.

Lin

AP007

Morglin wrote: »

If she does it again, just tell her the only thing you fancy is Shetland Ponies.....;)

That should shut the mosey mare up.

Lin

mare - pony I see what you did there :rotfl:

kwmlondon

tir21 wrote: »

One person in ukip who has been disciplined

A UKIP spokeswoman said: "It is quite evident that this is not the party's belief but the councillor's own and he is more than entitled to express independent thought despite whether or not other people may deem it standard or correct."

Until the public outcry got a bit too hot for UKIP so they got rid of him.

Reminds me of that old Groucho Marx line:

"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others."

adouglasmhor

tir21 wrote: »

If you met a filipino woman would you ask if they were a ladyboy?

A "Filipino" woman probably would be a ladyboy. As the feminine is "Filipina".

tir21

A UKIP spokeswoman said: "It is quite evident that this is not the party's belief

That's enough for me. I will vote ukip

adouglasmhor

I got asked if I was gay at a bike raly because I was drinking tea and reading a book during the day. Bit rich as every other bloke was wearing leather and just about every woman was wearing check shirts and boots.

kwmlondon

tir21 wrote: »

That's enough for me. I will vote ukip

And I'll carry on having gay sex - everyone's happy!

NiallB

adouglasmhor wrote: »

I got asked if I was gay at a bike raly because I was drinking tea and reading a book during the day. Bit rich as every other bloke was wearing leather and just about every woman was wearing check shirts and boots.

"Looks like we got us-selves a READER!" (Bill Hicks)

J_i_m

tir21 wrote: »

How would you deal with this situation

Recently a female coworker asked me if I was gay and if I fancied men

Is this something someone could get warned about

Is this something one should brush off? Doesnt really bother me that anyone should ask this but should I tell her that someone could take offence and she could potentially get in trouble for such a question

Personally I'd brush it off and answer honestly. I think it'd be too easy to take offence and over react at what from their point of view is probably a perfectly innocent question.

However, if it's the kind of question you're subjected to often from the same people with inappropriate overtones and it makes you feel uncomfortable then it could be case of bullying, harassment and discrimination (even if it's unintentional). You would be well within your rights to raise a grievance inline with your employer's grievance policy.

But first, try to solve issues informally by talking to the people concerned. It might be that they're unaware of how they make you feel and would change their behavior if you respectfully told them about it.